Amended Orders
by Brenna
Summary: Crossover with Farscape. **NEW CHAPTER** Yes, I finally continued this story!
1. Amended Orders

Amended Orders

Title: Amended Orders  
Author: Brenna  
Status: complete…sequel may follow  
Category: Angst, Crossover (Farscape/Stargate SG-1)  
Spoilers: Nothing major  
Season/Sequel info: Premiere ep for Farscape. Post season 3 for SG-1.   
Rating: PG  
Archive: Heliopolis and RedBeards all others ask.  
Content Warnings: none  
Summary: Response to challenge #211 at Heliopolis…although probably not exactly what you'd expect.  
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. Farscape and its characters are the property of Henson, SciFi, Henson, Sci-Fi, O'Bannon &etc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author

"Major Carter, there's a call coming through for you. He says his name is DK?" said her assistant, an eager young lieutenant fresh out of the Academy.  
   
Sam Carter immediately picked up the phone. "Hey, DK! How'd it go?" she asked wanting to know about the experiment her friend John Crichton was conducting on a mission with IASA.  
   
"He's gone, Sam," sobbed DK. "There was an accident. A radiation wave hit in the middle of the experiment. We can't find any trace of him."  
   
"What?!?" she shouted startling the others in the lab. Even as Sam listened to DK describe what had happened her mind was processing the data and coming to an awful conclusion. "Send me all the data you have DK. Right now!"  
   
"I can't do that, Sam. I don't have the authority. IASA has classified the accident," DK responded.  
   
"Don't worry about that, just get the data together. I'll get you the authorization. Give me your number. I'll call you when I have it," she said grabbing pen and paper. Writing down the number quickly, Sam hung up on DK before dialing another. "I need to see General Hammond, right now!" she barked in her most commanding voice before sprinting out of the lab towards the general's office. _ 'Please be alive, John! Please let me be right.'_  
   
**In General Hammond's office**  
   
"Alright, what's so important we had to postpone SG-5's debriefing?" asked General Hammond impatiently. He watched as Major Carter crossed to the bank of televisions along one wall and tuned it to CNN coverage of what was already being called 'The Farscape Tragedy.'  
   
"This, Sir" she said. "I need you to get me authorization to see the Farscape data. Now sir!"  
   
"Major, I think IASA has quite enough on their plate now without me making such a request," replied Hammond.  
   
"Sir, from what DK, Crichton's research partner, told me on the phone, I think he actually created a stable wormhole. He could be alive sir! I need that data, sir. Using the data we have from the Stargate, I might be able to extrapolate where it sent him," Sam explained quickly afraid to let the General interrupt her. "He's got 24 hours worth of oxygen on board the capsule. If I'm right, one of our allies may be able to reach him."  
   
Hammond nodded at her explanation. "I'll get you the data."  
   
**IASA Headquarters**  
   
"Hello?" said DK as he answered the phone in his office where he'd retreated to grieve in private for his friend.  
   
"DK. An Air Force courier will be there in less than an hour to pick up that copy of the data. You got it ready?" DK heard Sam Carter ask.  
   
"Yeah" replied DK. Fortunately, DK was too numb with grief to even wonder why Sam felt she needed the data so quickly. So Sam didn't have to try to avoid any questions that she couldn't answer. 

**SGC inside Cheyenne Mountain  
**   
The courier had arrived with the Farscape data 2 hours ago. It was obvious to Major Carter from her first viewing of the telemetry that she'd been right about what had happened to Commander Crichton. Her hopes for his survival vanished in front of her eyes when she saw where the computer analysis of his trajectory placed the wormhole's exit point._ 'Jesus, John! How are we going to get to you all the way out there?' _ Carter thought briefly before her mind began working through all the possibilities. She picked up the phone to request another meeting with General Hammond before going to locate the rest of her team.  

"Sir, I know where he's at, but we have no 'Gate coordinates in the vicinity. Request permission to contact our allies?" reported Carter. "Time is a factor, sir. He's got 12 hours worth of oxygen left at this point." 

"Request granted. However, most of our teams are off-world or off-base. You and Teal'c will contact the To'kra. We'll send Dr. Jackson with whoever we can scrounge up to contact the Tollan," order General Hammond, after a moment of contemplation. 

"I suppose that leaves me to contact the Asguard," asked Colonel O'Neill. 

"But they like you, sir," teased Carter, which earned her one of the Colonel's trademark smirks.  

"Gear up people, you leave in 15 minutes." 

**The To'kra Base**

"Sammy! What brings you to visit your old man?" asked General Jacob Carter.  

"Is there someplace we can talk privately, Dad?" Jacob could tell from the tone in which she asked that something was wrong, and the smile fell from his face. Something told him this was more than an official visit, as if he were personally touched by whatever was going on.   
   
"What's going on Sam? Is it Mark?" 

"No, it's John. There's been a…complication with his Farscape experiment. Do the To'kra have any ships in this area of space?" Sam handed him the coordinates her computer analysis had given her.  

"John?" Jacob looked down at the coordinates Sam had handed him while his thoughts turned to the young man who was like a second son to him. _'We have no ships in that area, Jacob. We've never even explored that galaxy,'_ Selmak told her host without even having to consult the data console in the corner of the room. _ 'I'm sorry.' _

Jacob relayed what Selmak had told him to Sam and Teal'c. "Are you telling me John is there? How?"  

"A radiation wave hit in the middle of the Farscape experiment. It somehow created a wormhole right in John's path. He went through it. I've analyzed the data. This is where it took him." Carter paused to check her watch. "He's got 11 hours worth of oxygen left, Dad. Colonel O'Neill has gone to the Asguard, and Daniel and SG-7 went to contact the Tollan for help." 

"I'm going back with you. Jack will need someone with him," Jacob decided ignoring the silent protest of his symbiote. _ 'This is about family, Selmak. Deal with it.' _

**Aboard Thor's Ship**

"I'm sorry O'Neill. We have no ships to spare, and none are close enough to reach this Commander Crichton in time. Our war against the replicators continues to go badly, O'Neill. The only aid I can give you is all the information the Asguard have regarding this area of space," offered Thor. "It is very little. We know it is ruled by a group known as Peacekeepers." 

"Doesn't sound too bad," said Colonel O'Neill.  

"They are a violently xenophobic military organization reminiscent of the Nazis of your last world war." 

"Ok. That sounds bad." 

"However, the Peacekeepers are controlled by a race of beings known as Sebacian. Their outward appearance closely matches that of Humans. Your Commander Crichton could easily 'blend in', I believe is the term. This data storage device contains all the information the Asguard possess pertaining to that region. I hope this information helps you retrieve your lost astronaut. Now you must go, Colonel. I must rejoin the battle with the replicators in this quandrant." Thor handed the device over to Colonel O'Neill and then transferred his guest back to SGC Command.  

**The Tollan Homeworld  
**    
"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson. We have no ships that could reach him in time. However, there is an experimental probe we could send. I'm afraid there's not much the probe could do when it got there but gather data," explained Narim. 

"But at least that would tell us what happened to him! Could the probe monitor Earth radio frequencies?" asked Jackson. 

"Well yes." 

"Then we have to try." Dr. Jackson and SG-7 waited impatiently while the probe was launched and traveled to the coordinates Sam had given them. The images the probe sent back when it arrived seemed bleak. Debris floated gently in front of the Tollan 'camera' mounted at the front of the probe.  

"The debris is not of Earth origin. There are traces of elements and metals that are not found on Earth," reported the Tollan scientist who was busily working the probes controls.  

"Then Crichton could still be alive out there?" Jackson wondered.  

"Yes." 

"Monitor this frequency for transmissions, please. Captain Dexter can you have one of your people go back through the 'Gate and report what we've learned."  

Two hours later when Captain Dexter returned with the rest of SG-1, the Tollan probe had still found no sign of the Farscape module or Commander Crichton. Jacob Carter had elected to stay behind on Earth. He was already on his way to his friend Jack Crichton's side. Hoping to comfort him in his grief at the apparent death of his son. All they could do was sit and watch as the Tollan scientist continued to use the probes sensors to try to find some trace of Crichton or his module.  

"Maybe someone picked him up?" offered Dr. Jackson.  

"From what Thor was able to tell me, this is NOT an area where you want to get picked up. Its run by a group called the Peacekeepers. Sounds like they'd give the Gou'ld a run for their money in the nasty alien contest. On the up side, Thor did say that Crichton would be able to blend in. Somethin' wrong, Carter?" asked O'Neill noticing the look on her face as he described what he'd learned.  

"John and I grew up together, sir. He's the one who got me interested in astrophysics. Our dads were stationed in Washington at the same time. It was just after Mom died. Colonel Crichton had just lost his wife, too. I guess we formed a sort of informal support group. Our dads would go get drunk together trying to forget their pain. They'd leave John, his sisters, Mark, and I home with a baby-sitter. We got kinda…close." 

"So he was…what…your first love?" guessed Daniel.  

Sam could only nod as she looked up at them with tears slipping down her face.  
   
"Dad even hoped we'd get together when we grew up, but John and I ended up being more brother/sister than romantic. It was Mark that ended up marrying a Crichton. Laura is John's sister," Sam explained of her sister-in-law. "He asked me to rejoin the Farscape project again last year. I turned him down, and I couldn't even tell him why." O'Neill sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders comforting her the best he could. Ruthlessly burying the flash of jealousy he'd felt when she'd confirmed Daniel's guess. _ 'It was a long time ago. She was just a kid then, and it's not like she's mine now. She's my 2IC. We can't even date, for God's sake!'_ Jack thought as he held Sam while she cried.  

"What do you mean, rejoin the project?" asked Jackson.  
   
"Ten years ago, when we were both at MIT working on our doctorates, I was part of their project. Our thesis' had a lot in common, which is not surprising considering we'd been working on our theories together since high school."  
   
"High school? You really are a geek, Carter," teased O'Neill. His comment earned him a tired smile from his 2IC, just as he'd hoped. "Time to rest, Major. You haven't slept in over 2 days. Not since before we left for PX1-498. Daniel and I'll come get you if we hear anything." O'Neill pulled his tired major to her feet and led her to the quarters they'd been assigned. Dropping onto the waiting bed, Sam didn't even feel her commanding officer remove her boots, as he would have once done for his son before tucking a blanket around her. She was already drifting into exhausted dreams of the past... 

> _ "Sam, Mark. Meet Colonel Crichton and his son, John. And these two young ladies are Mary and Laura, John's sisters. The Colonel and I are going out tonight, and John, Mary, and Laura will be staying with you and Mrs. Spiel," explained her father on his way out the door. "Be good."_
> 
> _Sam remembered that at first she'd thought she'd be stuck playing with the much younger Mary and Laura, but then John had noticed the star chart she was holding. When she'd informed him she was going to go up to the hill above the house to stargaze, he'd asked to come with her, and it was Mark that was stuck with Mary and Laura that night. _

Sam rolled over in her sleep and her dream shifted... 

> _"Ok, Sammy. Get a little closer to John. Stand up straight. Say cheese!" instructed her dad as he snapped photos of John and Sam in their formal prom attire.  
   
"Now remember. Home by two o'clock, no exception. Have fun, and no booze!" ordered John's father as he too took photos of the teenagers.  
   
John just rolled his eyes, causing Sam to giggle. "Sure, Dad. We know." Sam remembered dancing with John in their high school gymnasium before leaving the party to get a little drunk at a friend's after-prom party. They'd made it home before two, barely, and if their dads had known they'd been drinking neither of them let on._

The dream shifted again... 

> _"They've accepted our Farscape proposal, Sam! DK and I have been given the green light on our slingshot experiment. Come with me, Sam," begged John. "I know it's your dream too."  
   
"No, John. You didn't want to make it on your father's coat tails, and I don't want to make it on yours. I may have helped with the original idea, but it's DK's and your project now. If I get into IASA, it will be by my own work," Sam told him. "Besides. I'm enjoying what I'm doing now for the Air Force. It's incredible, John!" _
> 
> _"Working at the Pentagon? Come on, Sam. Borrrring!"  
   
Because of security, she couldn't tell him her real assignment at the Pentagon was researching an alien artifact found in the desert outside Giza. Besides he'd never believe her anyway. "My enlistment will be up in another year. I'll think about joining you then, but I'm needed here now."_

Apophis had come through the gate a mere 3 weeks before her enlistment was up... 

> _"What do you mean you're not resigning?" screamed John.   
   
"I've been given a new assignment. Deep space radar telemetry. It's what I want to do, John. You and DK will be fine without me."  
   
"I just don't get it, Sam. Space was your dream for so long, why are you letting it slip away?"  
   
"I'm not letting it slip away, John! I've just found it in a different way than you."_

Sam's dream shifted yet again, but this wasn't another memory... 

> _Sam sat in the control room at the SGC working on yet another upgrade to the computers controlling the 'Gate when it was activated from off-world by SG-4.  
   
Sgt Anders shouted as he emerged through the Stargate, "Look who we found!" The rest of his team followed him through the 'Gate along with someone who hadn't left with them. It was John.  
   
Sam launched herself into John's arms as she entered the 'Gate room. "We've been looking for you for so long, John. I was beginning to give up hope," she admitted holding him tight.   
   
"We are grateful that the Tau'ri care so much for their lost comrade," he replied in a voice not his own. Sam pulled away to stare in horror at the glowing yellow eyes of the man who was closer to her than her own brother._

"NOOOO!!!!" Sam screamed as she woke.  
   
"Sam!" cried O'Neill running into the room to see what had caused her to scream. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer in her chest, and all she could do was cling to her commanding officer for comfort. "It's alright, Sam. It was just a nightmare. Shhh," he soothed her quietly.  
   
"I dreamed he'd been taken over by a goa'uld," Sam told him. There was no need to tell O'Neill who 'he' was. _ 'I will not be jealous!'_ O'Neill ordered himself firmly. _ 'Sam needs me to be strong for her right now.'_  
   
"Don't even think it, Sam. We'll find him. Somehow, we'll find him."  
   
"I feel so guilty," she admitted as she pulled away slightly from their forbidden embrace.  
   
"Why?"  
   
"Because I was just so glad it wasn't you," she told him as she wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. "Don't ever leave me, Jack. I know we have to wait until I'm not under your chain of command. It's hard, but we can do that. Just...don't let anything happen to yourself until then. Promise me!"   
   
"I promise, Sam" he whispered as he pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. "I'll be waiting when we're free of the regs."  
   
** Two days later**  
   
"We're getting a signal on the frequency you specified, Dr. Jackson," Narim told them as he enter the quarters they'd been assigned during their stay.  

"Well let's hear it," ordered O'Neill leading the way to the Tollan laboratory.  

"My name is John Crichton…radiation wave hit… shot through a wormhole. Now I'm lost…the universe, on a ship, a living ship…strange alien…Help me. Listen please! ...anybody out there ... hear me? I'm being hunted by an insane ...tary commander…doing everything I can! I'm just looking for a way home!"  

"John! That's John. He's alive," shouted Sam happily.  

"I'm afraid the probe doesn't have the capability to transmit on this frequency," reported Narim sadly. As they watched the Tollan scientist made adjustments on the probe's instruments, clearing up the signal.  

"I doubt you'll ever hear this transmission, Dad, but I had to try. Hey Dad, you know those rattlers in the stomach we talked about? Well I got 'em now, but I'm going to try to find my way home, Dad. Try not to worry about me too much. This is John Crichton signing off." 

"Well at least we know he's alive," said Daniel. "Now how do we rescue him?" 

"We don't. At least not right away," grimly replied Colonel O'Neill. "He's on a ship. That means he's moving around. Rescuing a moving target in unknown territory is not going to be easy." 

**Two weeks later, Arlington National Cemetery Washington, DC**  
   
BANG!  
   
Colonel Jack Crichton kept himself from wincing as the first of the three volleys of gunfire rang out. He stood at attention as his years in the military had trained him.  
   
BANG!  
   
"The two Air Force officers standing with the Crichton family are General Jacob Carter and his daughter, Major Samantha Carter. Our sources tell us that the 2 families were very close while the children were growing up. The major was apparently Commander Crichton's first love and one of his sister's is married to her brother," reported the perky anchorwoman for CNN.   

BANG!  
   
 "We're told the Carter's are taking Crichton's father away to an undisclosed location, probably an Air Force base, where he can get away from the press. There's a rumor that a more private military memorial will take place at this location. His sisters have elected not to go with the Carters, but are instead going to a separate undisclosed location." 

**SGC Cheyenne Mountain, a few hours later**  
   
"Jacob, I'm really not up to this right now. I appreciate that you wanted to get me away from the press, and that you want to hold this memorial for John. But can't it wait until tomorrow?" 

"Actually no it can't. I'm sort of UA right now. I need to get back, and I want to be part of this. I know this is going to be hard for you, but it's important, Jack." Jack could only nod and follow his friend and the young woman he thought of as a daughter as they led him to a second set of elevators. 

"Wait a minute. We're on a USAF base. How the hell can you be UA?" 

"I don't really work for the Air Force anymore. My work is more…." 

"Covert" supplied Sam as her father seemed at a loss for words.  

"That's as good a description as I can think of." They rode in silence down to the 28th floor.  Jack realized they were very deep inside the mountain._ 'What's going on here? What the hell are you into Jacob…and what does Sam have to do with it for God's sake?' _ He followed his friend out of the elevator and down the corridor to a small conference room where several people were waiting for them.  

"Colonel Crichton. Welcome to the SGC. My name is George Hammond, commander of this project. This is Colonel O'Neill, my second in command. He is also the commanding officer of Sam's team. This is Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c the other 2 members of SG-1." 

_'What the hell are 2 civilians doing on a project this secret?'_ wondered Jack. The big man, Teal'c, had a military bearing about him, but Hammond hadn't introduced him by his rank or his last name for that matter, not to mention that very non-regulation tattoo on his forehead.  

"What we're about to tell you is the most classified secret in the United States government. I don't think I have to tell you that you cannot reveal what you're about to learn to anyone. Major, why don't you explain the Stargate to Colonel Crichton." Jack listened in amazement as they laid the whole thing out to him. Sam described finding the Stargate in Egypt, then Dr. Jackson took over the explanation. He told of translating the Stargate and the first mission to Abydos. At this point Colonel O'Neill took up the story as he spoke of the invasion of Apophis and the formation of the SGC. General Hammond explained the purpose and mission of the SGC. 

"Why are you telling me this insane story? You expect me to believe we've made contact with aliens. They've invaded Earth and been repelled? I can't believe you'd do this today of all days, Jacob!" 

"Jack. I have one of those aliens inside me! Her name is Selmak." 

"Bullshit!" 

"Show him Junior, Teal'c," calmly requested Colonel O'Neill ending the argument.  

Jack watched the huge man, whom the others had called a Jaffa, stand and lift his t-shirt to reveal an opening shaped like an X in his stomach.  
   
"What the hell is that?" shouted Jack as he abruptly stood back from the table and the snake-like creature emerging from Teal'c's abdomen. After listening to their explanation yet again, he couldn't deny the truth sitting before him. "And you have one of those things in your head, Jacob?" 

"Yeah. I was dying of cancer. Sam came to me and gave me pretty much the same explanation we're giving you. And then they gave me a choice…I chose to live."  

"That still doesn't explain why you're telling me this? How many regulations are you breaking?" 

"None, Major Carter and her father, helped me convince the President that you had the right to know. It wasn't very hard to persuade him. I believe his Chief of Staff served with you at one time? There's more we need to tell you though, Colonel," responded General Hammond. "Your son is alive, sir."  

"As soon as DK described the accident, I knew what had happened. John somehow created a wormhole just like the Stargate. I used the computers here at the SGC to compute his trajectory. Once we knew where the wormhole had taken him we contacted our allies," explained Sam.  

"Unfortunately, none of them had a ship capable of reaching him either," continued Dr. Jackson. "The Tollan had a probe that could make it though. This is what the probe sent back." Dr. Jackson turned on the screen built into the far wall. It showed a debris field in space.  
   
"You tell me that my son is alive and then you show me this?"  

"Umm…yes well. The Tollan tell us that debris isn't from Earth, so we waited. Two days later the probe picked up this transmission." Again the screen came to life, this time playing John's transmission, his message to his father.  

"So now what? How do we help him? You say our allies can't reach him, and they're much more advanced technologically than we are, I assume," Jack asked. He was afraid to hope. He'd buried his son today as a hero in front of millions of television viewers. Now they were telling him his son wasn't dead, and that he couldn't tell anyone about it.  

"Colonel, if you'll come with us," asked General Hammond.  

**The Embarkation Room**  
   
Standing in front of the Stargate were several rows of military personnel in full dress uniform and a few civilians in suits or dresses. Jack Crichton could see, not only the familiar Air Force uniform he'd worn for most of his adult life, but also marine, army, and navy personnel. He watched as Colonel O'Neill and his team filled in the empty spaces at the front of the formation. As if it had been planned in advanced the gathered personnel snapped to attention en masse. 

"Colonel Crichton, these are the SG teams that travel through the Stargate," explained General Hammond. "By order of the President of the United States and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I am hereby amending the standing orders of all SG teams. From now on, using the information the Asguard provided Colonel O'Neill, we will begin searching the area of space known as 'Peacekeeper Territory' for any and all signs of astronaut John Crichton Jr. Bring him home people." This was of course, not the only change to their orders. The Peacekeepers had to be investigated as potential allies or enemies, but the rest would wait.  

"Sir, yes, sir!" shouted the assembled SG teams.  

"Attention!" commanded Colonel O'Neill. As one unit, the assembled SG personnel brought their arms up to salute. Jack Crichton stared at them for several minutes before it dawned on him that they were saluting him as proxy for John. He returned their salute, the tears once again streaming down his face as he looked into the faces of the men and women arrayed in front of him. Their eyes saying as much as the shouted response to their commanding officer that they would bring John home. It wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't happen right away. But the people standing before him wouldn't give up.  

"SG-2, we're briefing on your next mission in 20 minutes. SG-4 you have 1 hour to get your gear together for P2X-229, and SG-8, Dr. Frasier wants you back down in the infirmary to finish your post mission physical," ordered General Hammond. The last statement was met with groans from the team in question, but they dutifully headed for the door. "Everyone else, dismissed."  
   
With that life at the SGC went on.  
   
"Uncle Jack, we'd like to speak with you for a minute in the general's office," Sam informed him. "Dad will be leaving with SG-4, he'll gate to his next assignment for the To'kra from their destination."  
   
** General Hammond's office**  
   
"Colonel Crichton, it's up to you, but I've been authorized to offer you a position here at the SGC," General Hammond told him.  
   
"Me? I appreciate you wanting to help me stay in the loop concerning John's search, but what good would I be here?"  
   
"Uncle Jack, you understand the science behind the 'Gate. John and I have talked to you enough about our various theories over the years for me to know that. I spend a great deal of time off-world, and I don't really have a lot of time for all the research that needs to be done. A lot of the people I have working for me in the labs are...well a little too enthusiastic at times. We could use someone with more...."  
   
"Caution with technology you don't understand" supplied Jacob, another salvo in an obviously long-standing argument.  
   
"...life experience to help oversee the labs," continued Sam pretending not to hear her father at all.  
   
"The President also believes you would make an excellent ambassador to our allies," General Hammond offered.  
   
"There's plenty of work to be done here, Colonel," said O'Neill. "We could use someone with your political savvy as well...we've made some enemies in Congress. Senator Kinsey in particular."  
   
"You mean **_ you've_** made us some enemies in Congress," accused Dr. Jackson.  
   
"You didn't exactly help, Danny boy."  
   
"What do you say, Colonel? How'd you like to get back into the business of space exploration?"  
   
"Where do I sign up?"  
   
To Be continued?  



	2. The Next Step

"So what's the next step?" asked Jack Crichton.

"Well, I've got to get changed and get my gear or SG-4 is going to leave without me, Jack. So I'll leave you in George's capable hands," responded Jacob Carter as he stood to leave the room. "I'll come say goodbye before I leave." The others stood as he left the room before turning back to the conversation at hand.

"Where do we start looking for my son?" demanded Jack. "And don't for a minute think I don't realize that was the only change of order you received."

"No, we need to conduct a threat assessment on the beings in that sector and see if they're potential allies or enemies," admitted General Hammond.

"So..."

Sam walked over to the transparent display on one side of the room. "This is the map of the Stargate system that we know of from the Abydos map and the Ancients. John landed somewhere beyond here," she explained as she pointed to the far edge of the map before circling several points with a marker. "We know the coordinates to these seven 'Gate locations. When we talk about the 'Gate we use a lot of telephone allusions, Uncle Jack. Outside this galaxy we need an eighth chevron to open the 'Gate."

"Not to mention a larger power supply than we've got," reminded O'Neill.

"And John is outside our galaxy. So we need to know the eighth chevron and find a larger power supply?" asked Crichton.

"Right. Thor gave us the correct chevron, and I think I can get us the power. The problem is it's going to take a long time between each use for the secondary power system to recharge."

"How long, Major?" asked Hammond. 

"Probably about a month, sir. So we need to find a safe jumping off point from within these seven 'Gates to explore further," Sam explained. She and the rest of SG-1 had spent most of their time since returning from Tollana studying what little information they had and coming up with scenarios.

"We also need to find some more 'Gate addresses in that area or 'acquire' a ship for further exploration," offered Colonel O'Neill. "I agree with Sam that we need to re-examine the possibility of a second base, sir."

Hammond nodded. The expression on his face told SG-1 at least, that he was already exploring the options in his head.

"Alright, first things first. SG-1, give Colonel Crichton the usual orientation briefings and continue your analysis of the data Colonel O'Neill brought back from the Asgard. We'll meet back here tomorrow at 16:00 to discuss your progress. Pull as many personnel as you need, people. I want this done ASAP."

A chorus of "yes, sir" was his answer.

"Dismissed, people. Let's go say goodbye to Jacob," Hammond said as he rose from his seat at the conference table and lead the way back down into the gate room.

"Nice outfit, Jacob," smirked Jack Crichton as he got a good look at what his friend was wearing.

"Isn't it though?" retorted Jacob. "To tell you the truth, I'm starting to get used to it. Although I admit for the first few months I felt like a fashion victim of immense proportions."

"So where are you headed, my friend?"

"Can't tell you that, Jack, but I'll come by to visit now and then."

"Take care of my dad, Selmak" Sam ordered as she came forward and hugged her father.

"Always, Samantha," Jacob replied in the voice that indicated his symbiote, Selmak, was actually doing the speaking. He lowered his head briefly and then spoke again. "O'Neill, take care of my little girl," ordered Jacob as he shook the other man's hand then pulled him into a hug.

"That's what they pay me for, sir."

"Daniel, Teal'c. Take care of yourselves."

"Indeed, GeneralCarter," Teal'c said with a slight bow.

"Jacob, Selmak. Don't be strangers."

"Jack, I'll see what I can do to help find John from my end. I'll be in touch."

Through the speakers Simmons announced, "Chevron Seven, engaged!" The wormhole formed in the center of the ancient stone ring. SG-4 hefted their packs to their shoulders and walked up the ramp into the 'Gate. Jacob hugged his daughter one last time then followed them up the ramp. At the top of the ramp he paused to wave, then stepped through. A few moments later the wormhole disengaged.

Two weeks later, Jack Crichton felt like he'd jumped through a time warp of more than twenty years, back to his early days at NASA with the endless briefings and science lessons. '_I'm too old for this shit,'_ he thought as he tried to follow Dr. Jackson's explanation of the Goa'uld power hierarchy. '_No! I can't think that way. I need to do this...I need to be part of this. Part of the search for John.' _

An hour later as everyone rose from the conference table to take a break, Colonel Crichton asked what else they had to cover.

"We're going to take you up to the range and test you on marksmanship which you probably won't have a problem with. It's just standard procedure. Sam's going to go through the 'Gate stuff with you as well. The quartermaster is going to want to give you some basic training with the various pieces of equipment we carry off-world. Then we take you on a nice easy mission off-world to get your feet wet, so to speak."

"And just where will we be going?" asked Crichton.

"Don't know yet. Abydos maybe. We haven't visited Skarra and Yusef in a while."

"MajorCarter has expressed an interest in consulting the Tok'ra scientists on Vorash, and I have not visited my family in some time, O'Neill."

"I know, Teal'c. Nothing's decided yet anyway."

Three more weeks passed before Jack Crichton once again stood at the bottom of the ramp leading up to the Stargate. It felt strange to be wearing fatigues again after so many years at NASA and then IASA. He was acutely aware of the fact that most new members of the SGC did not get sent on their first mission with SG-1 and that he was much older than most new recruits, but he could also tell that no one was jealous of this special treatment for him. _ 'Being an Apollo astronaut does have some perks after all,'_ he thought. 

After much discussion it was decided that SG-1 would visit three destinations on his virgin trip through the 'Gate. They would make stops on Vorash, Abydos, and the Land of the Light so that each member of SG-1 could visit their family. It seemed strange to Jack to think that each of his new colleagues had family living off planet. He knew that Jack and Daniel weren't visiting blood relatives, but Sam had told him about Yusef and Skarra. She'd said that Jack thought of Skarra as a surrogate son, and that Daniel stayed in touch with his wife's family on Abydos. 

"Ready to go, Colonel?" asked O'Neill.

"Just don't push him through the 'Gate, sir" remarked Sam with a smile. Her comment earned her a chuckle from O'Neill.

"I only pushed you the once, Sam."

"And then laughed when I lost my lunch on the other side. You didn't eat anything did you, Uncle Jack?" she asked with concern.

"No, I remembered your warning, Sam."

"Then let's saddle up campers," O'Neill commanded as he led the way up the ramp. "I really hope we don't have to deal with Anise."

Sam snickered as she followed him. "Don't worry, sir. I'll protect your virtue," she said just as he walked through the event horizon.

"Geez, Sam! I can't wait to hear what he says to that," chortled Daniel as he paused at the top of the ramp.

"I wouldn't be so smug Daniel. Freya may want the Colonel's body, but Anise is after yours," Sam retorted then pushed the shocked archaeologist through the 'Gate.

"Are you going to protect DanielJackson as well, MajorCarter?" asked Teal'c amusement lacing his usually solemn expression.

"No, I don't think Janet needs any help there," she said. "Let's go Uncle Jack before the two lover boys get into trouble."

Three weeks later as they exited the 'Gate upon their return to Earth they were greeted by General Hammond from the control room. "Welcome home, SG-1. Colonel Crichton, how was the trip?" asked General Hammond.

"It was amazing, General. Just amazing!" replied Jack thinking about the people he'd met on the three week trip through the 'Gate. 

Their week on Vorash had been an eye opening experience for Jack. Seeing all the advanced technology the Tok'ra possessed had made him feel like a babe in arms. Watching Jack O'Neill and Daniel pull out every trick in the book to avoid the unwanted advances of the scantily clad Anise/Freya had entertained him to no end. Sam had spent time with her father, and O'Neill had talked everyone into helping him teach the young Tok'ra boy, Charlie, how to play football. The week seemed to fly by as he learned more about their Tok'ra allies. He and Jacob had had a chance to catch up on the events in their lives over the last several years. 

From Vorash they had 'Gated to Abydos. It had been quite a change to go from such an advanced community as the Tok'ra base to the ancient Egyptian culture of Abydos. Daniel had seemed to settle in like he had never left, but that was only on the surface he'd quickly realized. Daniel would often turn as if to say something to someone then stop. A shadow of grief would then cloud his eyes, and Crichton realized why Daniel didn't come back to Abydos often. His wife's memory lived for him here. It was painful for him to be here without her. A fact her family seemed to understand. Yusef, Skaara, and Daniel spent a great deal of time off together talking. Remembering the woman they had loved as father, brother, and husband. Sam had shown him the Abydos cartouches that had given Earth their map to the stars. While on Abydos he had persuaded Teal'c to begin teaching him the Goa'uld language beyond the simple phrases required of everyone who went off-world. Knowing what 'kree' meant would help keep him from being shot if he were ever captured by the Goa'uld, but wouldn't do much beyond that. 

By their third week off-world though, he was ready to return to Earth. He knew Sam had spent part of her time on Vorash working with the Tok'ra scientists on the secondary power source, but she would need time back in the labs to put the information they had given her into practical use. While in the Land of the Light, they had mainly planned while Teal'c spent time alone with his wife and son. It was decided that a secondary base in the Peacekeeper galaxy would be necessary. They'd begun plotting strategy to get the secondary base approved. Mainly they'd decided that the strategy would consist of Crichton using his influence with the White House Chief of Staff to get a hearing for them in front of the Joint Chiefs and the President. They would need to be eloquent with their plea. His friendship with McGarry would get them in the door, but beyond that they knew they were on their own.

Two weeks later he and SG-1 traveled to Washington D.C. to present their case in person. "Sirs, ma'am, if you'll follow me I'll show you to Mr. McGarry's office. He's asked to see you before your briefing this morning," explained a pretty red-headed young woman as she lead them through the halls of West Wing of the White House. "My name is Margaret. I'm Mr. McGarry's assistant." They followed her to a large office towards the center of the building. 

"Jack!" exclaimed McGarry as he stood to greet them. "I'm so sorry about John. If there's anything I can do to help..."

"You've already done a lot, Leo. You got the President to okay my clearance into the SGC didn't you?"

"Yah...I owe ya, Jack. And I've always thought the world of John. I hope we can get him home safe."

"Thanks, Leo."

"So what exactly is this meeting about?"

"Sir, if we're going to explore Peacekeeper Territory and find John, we're going to have to set up a secondary base," explained Major Carter. "It's the only feasible option."

"Wasn't this proposed a few months ago?"

"Yes, sir. General Hammond and I proposed it and were turned down. However, that was before we needed to travel such great distances," explained Colonel O'Neill.

"Ok. Save the rest of the explanation for the briefing. The President and Joint Chiefs will meet us in the Situation Room."

"Any advice, Leo?"

"Get Nancy McNally, Fitzwallace, and the President on your side."

"How?" asked O'Neill.

"Now that you'll have to figure out on your own. Let's go," Leo told them. They followed him down several long corridors into a room dominated by a large conference table. One wall was entirely filled with television monitors while a second wall contained numerous clocks. Sam and Daniel quickly connected the laptop with their data to the audio-visual system while they waited for the President to arrive. 

"Good afternoon," the President's cheerful voice greeted everyone as he entered the room. "Whadya got for me?" he asked as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"So basically this secondary base would be a layover," asked Fitzwallace an hour later after listening to their initial explanation.

"Yes, sir. And a buffer for our primary base. Just in case something goes wrong. There's also a problem powering our 'Gate for intergalactic travel. The secondary power source we're building will need at least 27 days to recharge between uses. That being the case," explained Colonel O'Neill, " we need a staging point within the Peacekeeper galaxy. Also a point of retreat for our people."

"Do you think you'll need a point of retreat, Colonel?" asked Nancy.

"Considering our track record and the information Thor provided about the Peacekeepers. Yes, ma'am, I can almost guarantee it."

"Forgive me for asking this, Colonel Crichton, but if the danger is that great why are we risking more lives for one lost man."

"Because we may find allies or technology that can help us in the fight against the Goa'uld," Colonel O'Neill replied. 

"What kind of technology?" questioned the senior Air Force general.

"From the information the Asguard gave us, we know that the Peacekeeper's don't rely on the Stargate network for transportation. They, in fact, don't even realize it exists. So we can infer from that and the size of the territory they rule that they are capable of FTL travel," Sam offered.

"FTL?" asked McNally.

"Faster than light travel, Nancy," explained the President. "This is fascinating. Did you know..."

"Mr. President," interrupted McGarry.

"Right, Leo. Please continue, Major Carter," ordered a somewhat chastened President.

"Yes, sir. The Peacekeepers are a military society, so we can also infer that they will have superior weapons."

"This secondary base...you would be in charge of it, Colonel O'Neill. Correct?"

"I would most likely be one of the candidates. Yes, sir" O'Neill admitted. "There would certainly be a selection process to find the best candidate."

"And you feel you'd be the best candidate, don't you Colonel O'Neill?" General Webster asked. O'Neill couldn't quite suppress the grimace that crossed his face. Jack O'Neill was a firm believer in the old adage 'know thy enemy', so he was well aware that Webster lived in Senator Kinsey's back pocket.

"I feel that my place is in the field, _** sir**_" Jack O'Neill responded placing emphasis on the last word although it was obvious that there was no respect intended.

"That's a bit egotistical of you, Colonel?" Fitzwallace commented.

"Of the twelve original SG teams, only SG-1 still has all of its original members. So, no, I don't think that's egotistical. I think it's a fact," replied O'Neill.

"Just because other teams have had transfers..."

"Actually Fitz, every other team has lost members, not to transfers, but to death and injury. Colonel O'Neill is the only SG team leader to consistently bring all of his people home alive. Although the range of injuries you four have accumulated is staggering," explained the President. He'd kept careful track of this particular project since learning of it soon after his election two years ago.

"Yes, sir...the medical staff just loves us," quipped Colonel O'Neill. "Daniel's a particular favorite."

"I still have a few of my nine lives left," murmured Jackson.

"Who would you recommend for command of this new base?" asked the National Security Advisor.

"Colonel Crichton," Jack firmly replied.

"ME?!" Crichton gaped. "I haven't been in uniform in..."

O'Neill waved his protests away. "Your son's project is just the latest in a long line of successful projects you've headed for NASA and more recently IASA. I've spoken with the military personnel who've worked on the more classified projects. Every one of them has said they'd follow you into Hell if you asked. You inspire loyalty and trust in your people, Colonel. Whoever commands this forward base is going to need that quality...in spades. Shepherding those IASA projects also tells me you're a wizard at logistics. Another ability that will be keenly needed on a base that will be cut off for a month at a time. You've also got an incredibly strong personal reason for wanting this base to succeed. Finally, I looked into your combat record, Colonel. You're a hell of a soldier." 

"I was a pilot!" the colonel protested.

"So am I," Jack countered. "So is Sam. Daniel joined our team with no hand to hand training at all, and he's done well. We can train you for that, Jack. Besides, you'll have younger men there to do the fighting. Your job will be to _**lead**_, and it's a job you do well."

"I'm satisfied," the President announced, making one of his infamous snap decisions.

"Sir," Webster protested. "We don't even know that Crichton's still alive!"

"The Tollan have left their probe in Peacekeeper space," O'Neill responded. "It's continued to pick up transmissions from the Farscape. Even a few voice messages from Crichton."

"It's decided," the President reiterated once again. "Colonel Crichton, consider yourself re-activated. I'm in agreement with Colonel O'Neill's assessment. You'll command the secondary base. Colonel O'Neill, do you have a location chosen?"

"We have a list of seven possibilities, sir" O'Neill replied. "Once Carter has finished the secondary power units, the plan is for my team to test it out. We'll gate out to the first location, and hop from there to five of the other six. One location has already been ruled out because of a lack of breathable atmosphere. We'll send probes through to that location to see if it's worth a look, but it's not a feasible base of operations at this time. Once we've surveyed all seven worlds, my team and I will make a decision on the safest of the seven to deploy the secondary power unit on. Once the unit is deployed and a security perimeter has been established we'll gate home from there. A team will be on standby to immediately gate back out to the chosen location to continue setting up the base."

"You're going to decide on the spot where the second base will be located?" McNally asked doubtfully.

"We'll have to deploy the second of the power units to return home, and it will have to remain connected to the gate," Major Carter explained. 

"It would be most unwise to leave the power unit unguarded," Teal'c commented for the first time in the meeting. 

"It's a risk, sir" O'Neill admitted. "But the payoff in time will be worth it, we think. Of course, if none of the sites are suitable we always have Plan B."

"And what's Plan B?" asked McGarry.

"Well there are a couple Plan B's depending on what we find," he explained. "My team and I, we just love to plan for contingencies. Option 1 is concealing the power unit. Option 2, firing up the 'Gate and forcing an overload into it so we can grab the power unit and run."

"And why isn't that Plan A?" asked Fitzwallace. "That sounds like the better option all around to me."

"Too much power in the ' gate is bad," Sam said.

"Very bad," Daniel agreed to which O'Neill emphatically nodded. Even Teal'c dipped his head in agreement at her statement.

"Care to explain what that means?" McGarry drolly asked.

"Carter probably could," O'Neill said. "None of us would understand it, but she could explain it. We overloaded the power on a 'Gate once in an emergency. We got through fine," he told them.

"Yeah, except we woke up a week later in the infirmary feeling like someone had set us on fire," Daniel retorted. 

"Well there is that," O'Neill agreed. "My team and I'd just as soon not repeat that experience. Dr. Frasier wasn't sure how we'd survived. Option 3 is we blow the power unit."

"Which would probably destroy the 'Gate...possibly the planet," Carter told them.

"Sounds like you chose the best plan, then" the President quipped though his eyes were wide at the blasé way they spoke of that possibility. "This plan is pretty risky even for your team, Colonel O'Neill. I know you want to begin the search for Commander Crichton as soon as possible, but don't you think doing a reconnaissance from Earth instead of this leap frog approach would be safer?"

"Not by much, sir" O'Neill replied. "Once we're out there, we're out there. We'll do an Earth-based recon for the first hop. From the first location we can send out UAV's and MALP's to the other sites. We plan to take several UAV's through and at least two MALP's."

Bartlet nodded thoughtfully then gazed at each of them with a look of intense thought on his face.

"Do you have a timeframe on the completion of this power unit, Major?" Fitzwallace asked.

"We'll be ready for initial tests on the first unit in a week," Carter informed him. 

"First unit?" asked General Webster in surprise. 

"They'll need one at each end," the President pointed out.

"Yes, sir."

"You have approval," Bartlet told them again as he rose from his position at the head of the table and approached O'Neill and his team. He shook each of their hands ending with Colonel Crichton. "Good luck, Colonel," he said as he looked into the other man's eyes, and both men knew he wasn't speaking of Crichton's new command.

"Thank you, sir." Jack Crichton replied.


	3. The Seven Dwarves

Exactly a week later and a total of three months since John's accident, Jack Crichton stood in the control room along with Colonel O'Neill and his team as they watched the first test of the secondary power unit. Major Carter had suggested that they kill two birds with one stone with this test so a MALP unit and a UAV both stood at the ready below them in the gate room. 

"Chevron Seven engaged," Simmons reported as he worked the controls in front of him. "Wormhole will reach its destination in...five...four...three...two...one. Wormhole engaged!" he cried.

Sam worked the controls of the MALP bringing it closer to the 'Gate as Simmons launched the UAV through the event horizon. They didn't have to wait more than a minute before the UAV began sending back images and instrument readings from its destination on PF2-4A1. 

"Ruins," Daniel murmured as they watched the feed from the UAV's camera. "I don't recognize it as an Earth-based civilization."

"Infra-red shows nothing moving," Simmons reported. 

"Should I send the MALP through now, General?" Sam asked.

For a moment, Jack didn't realize she spoke to him. He thought he'd put it behind him after his meeting with the President, but this feeling of falling through the looking glass kept returning. He'd been surprised when he got the papers reactivating him to note that he'd also been given a promotion to general for his service with NASA and IASA. He didn't know if he truly felt he'd earned that rank, but he knew better than to protest. Pulling strings was so much easier when you outranked the person whose string you were pulling, and he'd pulled quite a few in the past week since returning from Washington. "Yes, Major" he answered. 

Sam maneuvered the MALP through the 'Gate and began the ground exploration as Simmons continued his aerial reconnaissance of the first of their seven potential base locations. A little more than thirty minutes later they lost the signal from both instruments as the 'Gate shut down. "That's it," Sam announced.

"Let's start going over this data with a fine tooth comb," O'Neill said. "I want to be as prepared as possible when we get out there."

"You don't want to check any of the other locations, Jack?" Hammond asked.

"We'll do a recon of Happy when the second unit is ready to be tested," the colonel told his CO, "Sleepy there looks to be living up to its name, though. I'll want to send another UAV through before we leave, but unless something comes up in the data, I see no reason why we can't 'Gate out to Sleepy once everything else is in place." Each potential location had been given an easily remembered code word as well as the usual alpha-numeric designation. Earth had been designated 'Snow White' and each of the seven worlds had been given the name of one of the dwarves. Thor hadn't been able to give them much information on their seven choices, but there had been some information, mainly about atmospheric conditions. Individual plans were being created for the seven planets. The planets code named Sleepy and Happy appeared to be the most Earth-like of the seven with different climate zones spread across the planet. No planning had so far taken place for either of those planets. They would need to know what the climate was like at the location of the Stargate before making decisions. Doc appeared to be a desert planet similar to Abydos. Grumpy and Sneezy were listed as ice planets. Dopey was covered in one giant swamp. The worst possibility by far was Bashful, which according to Thor's information had no atmosphere at all. At this point Sleepy was the most likely of the seven candidates for the secondary base. 

Hammond nodded. "Get to work then, Colonel" he ordered before turning to Crichton. "Jack, I've got some more personnel files for you, and Sgt. Atkins tells me we've received the HMV's." Once his reactivation and assignment had become official, he began working with Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond putting together the materiel, equipment, and personnel for his new base. The materiel and equipment list had been fairly easy. O'Neill and Hammond already had a preliminary list completed from their first proposal. They would need more than what had been originally planned, more of everything. Every piece of equipment they would need would have at least two back ups. For critical equipment it would be at least three. They would need months of supplies, shelters, fuel for the vehicles they were taking, and ammunition. Lots of ammunition, and the list kept growing. Gathering the materiel had been turned over to the SGC quartermasters. 

The quartermaster's job was further complicated by the fact that everything they were taking had to go through the Stargate in thirty-eight minutes. It was that thirty-eight minutes that had the quartermasters panicking. An entire lower level of storage space had been turned over to them as they began the monumental task of triaging the equipment for packing. Every moment and every inch would count in bringing through materiel and personnel. In the last three days as the equipment and materiel began arriving the quartermaster and his subordinates had devised a system. The largest of the storage areas had been set aside for the things that would go no matter where they ended up. Smaller storages areas had been designated for each of the possible sites where items specific to that site would be stored. The arctic winter wear had been placed inside the storage areas marked with the cartoon faces of Grumpy and Sneezy while the more light weight jungle fatigues had gone into the room graced with Dopey's image. Dopey and Doc got the boxes of ointment for heat rash, and Grumpy and Sneezy had stacks of heat packs and vitamin D supplements. Doc got case upon case of sunscreen and boxes full of desert fatigues. Sleepy, Happy, and Bashful's storage rooms so far remained empty although some joker had painted a space suit onto the blushing face of Bashful. With the data they now had from Carter's test, Sleepy's storage area would soon begin to fill. 

Once the second unit was ready for testing in another week or two, they would repeat their long distance look, this time sending a UAV and MALP to Happy. They would then need to wait while both units recharged before SG-1 could even consider starting their leap frog mission. O'Neill and his team would not leave for their month long recon of the 'seven dwarves' until every piece of materiel, every member of the new base's personnel, and every piece of equipment had been assembled. There could be no mistakes and no delays when the time came to move out. In the meantime, Jack had dozens of personnel files to go through. Taking the stack that General Hammond handed him, he headed down to the large conference room he had commandeered as his office. 

His first task was finding a good second in command. It was a task made more difficult by the constraints he was under. There was no time to get someone from outside the SGC up to speed, but he also couldn't take anyone in a critical role within it. This of course, meant that SG-1 would be remaining at Cheyenne Mountain. Although they were without a doubt the best and most experienced of the SG teams that expertise could not be wasted by sending them to such a remote base on a permanent basis. He had decided not to make any final decisions about other personnel until he'd chosen his 2IC. Every man and woman would have to be chosen carefully because unlike at the SGC these people would have to be together 24/7 for months at a time. More like a Navy ship or submarine than an Air Force base. He set the stack of files he'd brought with him down and picked up the three files that he had spent the last two days memorizing. He read over the notes Jack O'Neill and General Hammond had made concerning each officer's qualifications yet again. "Santos!" he yelled for the young Marine private who'd been assigned to him as a secretary/aide. 

"Sir?" Miguel Santos asked standing in the doorway. 

"Find Commnder Tannen and tell her I want to see her at her earliest convenience," Crichton order. 

"Yes, sir" Santos said before firing off a snappy salute and backing out the door. 

Crichton allowed himself a small chuckle. _'The kid really wants to go,' _he thought. _ 'I'll have to put him out of his misery soon. He's earned a place on the team already.'_ Santos had proven to be a genius at organization and scrounging. If you needed something he could get it for you or find someone who could. He'd also been working with the quartermasters organizing the materiel and equipment. It had been Santos' idea to break the equipment into general and specific groups. Crichton had a feeling he'd need both those abilities once they got out there. Hopefully at least one of the seven 'Gate locations would prove to be inhabited. Santos would be invaluable in bargaining with the locals. He sighed and turned back to the work at hand. The preliminary report on Sleepy wouldn't be complete for at least another two days. In the meantime, he needed to work on pushing through his equipment requests. He picked up the phone to dial the depot where one of his shipments of equipment sat languishing. 

Three hours later he was still screaming into the phone about the same shipment, but he was finally being assured that the equipment would be in Colorado within 24 hours. A knock on the door interrupted his tirade against the hapless lieutenant at the other end of the line. "Enter!" he barked barely pausing before he continued his harangue. "If I don't see that equipment here in 24 hours your ass is mine, lieutenant. You read me?" 

"Yes, sir!" he heard through the telephone. "It'll be there, sir." 

Crichton didn't bother with a farewell before disconnecting the call. He wanted that lieutenant to live in fear of another call from General Crichton concerning his equipment. More shipments for the base would be going through that depot after all. He looked up to see Commander Tannen standing at attention before his desk. Jack waved her to a seat with a command to sit. "Do you know why you're here, Commander?" he asked her. 

"I'm being considered for a position in 'The Mine' sir?" she asked. 'The Mine' was the code name assigned to the forward base, whatever its location ended up being. 

"That's right, Commander" he agreed. "Now tell me why I should take you with me." Jack noted that Commander Tannen took a moment to consider the question before answering. Hammond and O'Neill had both noted that Sara Tannen was a thinker. She'd originally been loaned to the SGC by the Navy for an exploration mission to a world where the 'Gate rested on a very small island. Exploration with UAV's had shown that the Stargate's island was a mere twenty miles from the mainland, but it was a twenty miles that would require someone with real experience at sea to navigate. Tannen had been tapped for the mission because she fit all the official and unofficial requirements of SGC personnel. Officially she'd had the correct security clearance from her work as an intelligence officer at the NMCC and the right skills at sea as a fourth generation Navy brat. She'd learned to read the sea before she learned to read a word. There wasn't a black mark against her officially. Unofficially she was known to step quite close to the line, but she never crossed it. If Tannen thought you were doing something wrong she'd tell you, but never in such a way that would get her in trouble officially. Unofficially, she'd been labeled a maverick. Someone who thought on her feet and was willing to bend or break the rules if need be to do what was right. In short, she was just the kind of soldier that did well in the SGC. 

The mission had gone about as well as could be expected for one involving SG-1. The UAV's exploration had stopped at the village on the coast. So SG-1 plus Commander Tannen had been totally unprepared for the Goa'uld palace another mile inland. After escaping their Goa'uld captors they'd humped it back to their hidden boat and roared back out to sea. The four members of SG-1 had only managed to hold on as Commander Tannen maneuvered their high-powered speed boat in a complicated zig-zag pattern as they were chased by death gliders back to the island Stargate. She'd laid down cover fire with Teal'c as Jackson and Carter dialed in Earth's address and half carried half dragged an injured Colonel O'Neill to the 'Gate. As soon as the other three had gone through the Stargate, she'd sent two bullets into the highly flammable gas tanks of the speed boat. The flames and smoke from the explosion had masked Tannen and Teal'c as they'd made a mad dash for safety. 

When O'Neill limped from the infirmary he'd gone to General Hammond with a recommendation, and Commander Tannen hadn't gone back to the Navy. Instead she'd been offered command of one of five new SG teams being formed. It was an opportunity she would have to be stupid to turn down, and Sara was not stupid. She'd been with the SGC for a year now, and in that time compiled an impressive record. Jack was brought out of his reverie as Commander Tannen told him just that. "Because I use my brain as well as brawn when commanding my team. I'm well respected by team members. I've never had a beef with someone on base who didn't deserve it," she said. Jack allowed himself a small smile at her qualification of that last statement. "I get the job done, sir." 

Jack put her through her paces for another hour asking questions and proposing scenarios before he was satisfied. He rose and extended his hand to her which she took. "Congratulations, Commander" he said. "You're my new 2IC. Now let's get down to business choosing the rest of our team."

"You're taking Santos right?" she asked after quickly concealing the shock she felt at being chosen 2IC to the new base.

"Yeah, the kid's a brilliant scrounger" he said.

"How much time do we have?" Tannen asked as she began to rifle through the stack of files on the edge of the desk.

"Tannen, before we leave this room I want to have a rough list of personnel requests for General Hammond," Crichton told her. "We don't have a lot of time to work with here. The key positions will need to be filled by SGC personnel. We just don't have time to get an entire crew up to speed. I would like to have the majority of our people coming out of Cheyenne Mountain, but that's not going to be possible. So the slots we can fill from inside need to count. Once we've got those made we can begin thinking of personnel from outside."

"Santos!" she barked. 

"Ma'am?" he asked as he appeared in the doorway.

"The general and I are going to need some coffee," she told him without looking up from the files.

"Yes, ma'am" Santos replied. 

"Bring yourself a cup, too" Jack called after him. 

"I want to bring my team," Tannen said bringing Jack's attention back to her. "I've already spoken with them, sir. Prine, Keegan, and North all want to go" she told him though he wasn't surprised. The new base had been the talk of the SGC from the moment General Hammond had announced it. Hammond was in agreement with Jack that only volunteers would be considered for 'the Mine.' The possible payoff for exploring Peacekeeper Territory was indeed huge as they'd told the President and his staff, but the dangers were even bigger. Whoever went was likely to become a hero. The problem with that was they were likely to be dead heroes. Jack wanted a bit of maverick in his people, but he also needed to know they could be counted upon to use their heads as well as their cajones. Tannen's SG-14 had quickly gained the reputation over the last year as the SGC's second best exploration unit for doing just that. 

Each of Tannen's teammates brought a wide array of skills to the team as a whole. Tannen, North, and Keegan were each part of the military. Captain John Keegan was a Marine transferred over from SG-5 when the new teams were forming. He was an expert at all manner of weapons and munitions. Sergeant Isaac North came from the Air Force and was their technical and scientific expert. Dr. Lynn Prine was an anthropologist recruited straight out of her graduate work on the recommendation of Katherine Langford who had met her after a lecture she'd given at the University of Chicago. By necessity, she was also quickly becoming a damned good medic. 

Santos returned with the coffee in time to hear Jack say, "Alright, Commander. I think I can talk General Hammond into letting me have your entire team." Santos poured each of them a mug of coffee from the carafe he had brought back with him before pouring himself a cup and turning towards the door. "Sit, Santos" Crichton ordered him. 

"Yes, sir." the young man said turning so sharply that he almost burned himself as his coffee nearly sloshed out of the cup. He sat down in the seat next to Tannen and took a tentative sip of his coffee more to have something to do with his hands than anything else. 

"Santos, I'm going to request that you be assigned to 'the Mine' unless you have some objection," Crichton said. 

"I have no objection, sir!" Private Manuel Santos assured the general. 

"I didn't think you would," Jack smirked. "Commander Tannen and I were just discussing what other SGC personnel we should bring with us. Do you have any suggestions, son?" 

Santos looked from one officer to the other before deciding they were serious. Deciding they were, he nodded and began rattling off names and reasons. The three worked through the rest of the day and into the night dissecting the qualifications of the available personnel. They didn't even stop to eat. Instead they merely migrated their discussion to a quiet table in the commissary where they wouldn't be disturbed. Others eating in the commissary took note of their presence though and the intensity of the discussion if not the subject. Within the hour rumor went around the base that General Crichton had chosen his second in command.

As Miguel returned to the table with a fresh pot of coffee late into the night, Jack Crichton told them, "That's it for the SGC personnel. The rest of our people are going to have to come from off-base."

"We still need someone to head the science department," Tannen reminded her commanding officer. 

"I've got that taken care of," Jack said. "D.K.'s getting his commission re-activated as we speak."

"D.K.?" Miguel asked.

"D.K. Moore, my son's research partner" Crichton told him. "He was a captain in the Air Force reserves."

Miguel commented, "We gotta find a good CMO."

Crichton nodded. "I've got an idea, but I'm going to need Jacob Carter's help to pull it off," he said.

"How's that?" Tannen asked.

"I know of a trauma physician who applied to NASA. He was going to make it into the program, but then pulled out due to family obligations," Jack explained to her.

"What makes you think he'd be willing to take on a top secret assignment for the Air Force then?" Tannen protested.

"He's got terminal cancer," General Crichton added. "To save his own life, I think he might do it. Don't you?"

"You want to take a Tok'ra with us," Tannen accused her new commander as the light began to dawn. 

"Might come in handy," Miguel agreed.


	4. Doc

"Jack, what can I do for you?" Jacob greeted his friend at the terminus of the transport rings inside the Tok'ra base as Jack along with Commander Tannen and her team appeared in the dimly lit tunnels.

"I'm hoping we can do something for each other," Jack replied. "You heard about the secondary base we're setting up in Peacekeeper space?"

Jacob nodded thoughtfully. "What about it?"

"Well, I've got my eye on a trauma doc I want on my team," Jack hedged.

"So?" Jacob asked.

"So he's got terminal brain cancer," Jack explained. "I was hoping the Tok'ra might be interested in sending a representative with us."

Jacob raised an eyebrow clearly intrigued by the possibility, but it was Selmak who replied. **_"There is a symbiote in need of a host,"_** he noted. **_"Lantesh has recovered enough from the death of Martouf to receive a new host."_**

"Lantesh?" Tannen asked. "I thought Major Carter killed him."

"No," Jacob said. "Sam shot them twice with the zat. There wasn't anything we could do for Martouf, but Lantesh was cushioned from the zat by Martouf. Anise was able to save him."

"He's a za'tarc though," North objected.

"Anise believes she's removed the za'tarc programming," Jacob said. "Tell me about this physician."

"He's from Chicago," Jack said. "He works at Cook County General." Crichton took the folder Tannen handed him and gave it to Jacob.

"_**We will have to speak to the council," **_Selmak told them after studying the folder carefully for several minutes.

"Then let's go," Jack urged. He'd come prepared to argue his case before the council with all the data they had on the Peacekeepers and that area of space. He was hoping to dangle a carrot in front of their faces in the form of Peacekeeper technology. 

"Lantesh cannot be sustained much longer without a host," Anise argued to the council an hour later. "We cannot allow him to die."

_**"Your lust for the chance to study this technology makes you hasty,"**_ Garshaw snapped back.

"We have no way of knowing whether Lantesh or this doctor could survive the joining," Aldwin reminded Anise. "The doctor is very sick."

_**"Better some chance than none,"**_ Selmak argued. _**"We do not currently have any other possible hosts for him. As for the Peacekeeper technology, we need every advantage we can get against the System Lords.**_"

_**"But by sending him to such a remote location we lessen our already small numbers,"**_ Garshaw protested.

"Lantesh isn't contributing anything as he is," Tannen pointed out carefully. "With one of the long-range communications devices he can send you regular reports of the progress of the base and any technology we recover."

_**"So long as you may also use the device to communicate with your General Hammond,"**_ Garshaw added.

Jack Crichton looked the female Tok'ra in the eye and shrugged. He wasn't about to deny it. It was the truth, and they all knew it. Living as they did the Tok'ra knew very well the realities of what life would be like for his 'Miners.' Every resource they had would be used to its utmost advantage. That included 'personal' items brought by the base personnel in their small allotment. It would be helpful if they could communicate with the SGC without the Stargate via the devices O'Neill had nicknamed 'teleballs,' but Sergeant North and Lieutenant Hailey were already working on replicating the one recovered from the Jaffa training facility. Failing that, Commander Tannen and Colonel O'Neill were working on a plan to raid a goa'uld supply depot. A plan that appealed to both Generals Hammond and Crichton for many reasons, not the least of which was the simple axiom 'every little bit helps.' Raiding a goa'uld depot would definitely gain them quite a few 'little bits.'

"We cannot ask Lantesh if this is what he wants," Aldwin pointed out quietly. "He may not wish to blend with this Tau'ri doctor."

"Lantesh admires the Tau'ri," Garshaw said slowly as she thought through this new argument. "I doubt he would object. Nevertheless, when the time comes for the joining he will be able to choose."

"I would like to be the one to take Lantesh to Earth," Jacob requested. "The doctor will have questions that I can perhaps answer best."

Garshaw nodded. _**"Very well,"**_ she agreed.

Keegan and North carefully carried the stasis chamber containing the symbiote Lantesh through the Stargate to the SGC a few hours later. General Crichton, Jacob Carter, and Dr. Frasier followed them from the gate room through the corridors to the infirmary. "They argreed then?" General Hammond asked the obvious question as he joined the procession down the corridor.

"Yeah," Jacob confirmed. "Now we have to talk to this doctor."

"I'll organize your flight," Hammond offered.

The next day Jack Crichton paced the office of County General's Chief of Staff while Jacob sat relaxed in one of the visitor's chairs. 

"Will you relax, Jack?" Carter demanded.

"I'm not particularly proud of myself right now, Jacob" Jack replied. "I don't like taking advantage of his illness like this."

"You're giving him options," Jacob argued. "Options he doesn't have right now. The choice is still up to him."

"Gentlemen. I'm Dr. Ramano," a short balding red-headed man said as he stormed into the room. "What's this about you wanting to see Mark Greene?"

"That's private," Jack responded.

"Uh uh," Ramano disagreed. "You want to see one of my doctors on my time. It's my business."

Jacob fished his identification out of his civilian sport coat. "Let's try this answer then," he told the younger man. "It's classified."

Ramano stared at the identification Jacob held out to him and then at the two men in front of him. "What's this about?" he asked again. "I don't need..."

"You don't need to know what this is about," Jacob interrupted bringing the full weight of his years of military training to brunt on the chief of staff.

"Oookay," Ramano drawled knowing when to back down. "I'll have him paged."

"We'll need somewhere private to talk," Jack Cricton said then, just to see the chief of staff squirm, he added, "Here will due." Jack traded a smile with his friend behind Ramano's back as the doctor yelled for his assistant Shirley to page Dr. Greene.

They waited in silence for Dr. Greene after the two generals rebuffed Ramano's attempt at conversation.

"What's going on?" Greene asked by way of greeting as he entered Ramano's office. "The ER is packed, and Luka called in sick."

"Dr. Greene, these gentlemen would like to speak to you," Ramano said. An icy look from Crichton had him hastily adding, "I'll leave you alone."

"Do I know you?" Mark asked as he moved out of the doorway allowing Ramano to leave the office.

Jack waited for the door to close behind the chief of staff before he answered. "My name's Jack Crichton," he said. "I was part of the committee that reviewed your application to NASA."

"I dropped out of that," Mark said with some confusion on his face.

"I know. Family responsibilities," Jack said.

"That hasn't changed," Greene informed the two older men. "Besides, I have..."

"Cancer," Jacob said before the doctor could finish his sentence. "We know. That's why we're here actually."

"Care to explain?" Mark asked lifting his eyebrows in question.

"First, we need you to sign this secrecy agreement," Jacob said. It took twenty minutes of careful explanation before Greene signed the document.

"Okay, now that I've signed my life away, what is this about?" Mark asked.

"It's about an...experimental...cure for your cancer," Jacob answered. "There's a price though."

"There's always a price," Mark replied. 

"This one is a doozy," Jack Crichton warned the physician. "You wanna explain Jacob?"

Carter nodded as he gestured for Greene to take a seat. Mark did so reluctantly. Once they were seated, Jacob gave Mark the same story he'd been given by his own daughter and George Hammond.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Mark growled lunging to his feet.

Jacob's head bowed for a moment and when it came up again his eyes flashed yellow. _**"This is no joke, Doctor Greene"**_ Selmak said. _**"My name is Selmak. I am of the Tok'ra. Jacob and I share his body. This is the...cure...you are being offered." **_ Jacob's head bowed again as Mark Greene sank back into the chair. "Three years ago I had end-stage cancer," Jacob explained. "My daughter was part of the SGC team that was attempting to negotiate a treaty with the Tok'ra. The only thing Earth had that was of value to the Tok'ra in exchange for this alliance was hosts. Sam, my daughter, came to me and asked me to take the same chance we're asking you."

"And you agreed," Mark said. "What is a...toe kra."

"Tok'ra," Jacob corrected. "The name literally means 'against Ra.' Several thousand years ago a group of goa'uld broke from the System Lords. They didn't believe in taking over the host. Instead they blend with them. Selmak and I share my body."

"And you want me to...why?" Mark asked abandoning his first question in favor of another.

Jack sighed. "You may also recognize me because of my son, doctor. John Crichton."

"The Farscape..." Mark murmured.

"Yes," Jack said. "John didn't die in the accident. He's...well...lost in space," Jack told him with a shrug. It was Jack's turn now as storyteller as he described what really happened to John and the events since. "You're being offered this chance because my team needs a doctor," Jack explained. "And I want the best."

"What would happen if I said yes?" Mark asked. "My family..."

"Couldn't know," Jacob answered. "Doctor, I want to be sure you understand. Your life as you know it would be over, and your family will most likely never know why. I have some contact with my son, but not much. Mostly letters and a few visits."

"The visits will be even less frequent for you, Doctor. At least while you're with my group," Jack added.

"Even when you're no longer with Jack's mission, you'll be a Tok'ra, and we will have other missions for you," Jacob told him. 

"So what's the plus side to this?" Mark questioned.

"You live," Jacob told him. "Not only will you live, but barring catastrophic injury you'll live for centuries. You'll explore the universe. See things most humans can't even imagine. You'll have a hand in defending Earth from the System Lords, and you'll never be alone again. The relationship you develop with your symbiote will enrich you in ways I can't even begin to describe. Blending with Selmak has made me a better person. I'm a better father to my children."

"What about the symbiote?" Mark asked. 

"His name is Lantesh," Jacob answered. "He's very fond of the Tau'ri, which is what the Tok'ra call people from Earth."

"Will I be able to talk to...him before?" Mark asked.

"I'm afraid not," Jacob said. "Lantesh's previous host, Martouf, has died. He's being sustained now on a kind of life support."

"I need to talk to my wife and Ramano," Mark told them. "Make arrangements."

"There's not a lot of time," Jack told him.

Mark nodded. "What exactly can I tell them?" he asked.

"Tell them you've been offered an experimental cancer treatment," Jacob said. "If you decide not to blend with Lantesh, we just bring you back here. If you do join the Tok'ra, we can discuss your options. Tell them that because it's a military project you won't be able to have contact with them during the treatments other than letters or e-mails."

"Alright. Wait for me here," Mark requested as he stood. 

Mark left the office to find Ramano pacing outside. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"I need to talk to Elizabeth first," Mark told him as he strode quickly towards the elevator.

"No you don't," Rocket disagreed as he kept pace with the taller doctor. "As your boss, I need to know what's going on."

"My wife needs to know first," Mark fired back. He stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. "I'll meet you in your office in an hour," Greene told his boss as the elevator doors shut in his face. It didn't take Mark long to find Elizabeth outside trauma one studying an x-ray on the light box mounted to the wall. "Elizabeth, we need to talk," Mark said beginning the conversation.

"Not now, Mark" Elizabeth replied.

"Yes, now." he insisted. 

Elizabeth sighed deeply before saying, "Fine." She grabbed Abby as the nurse rushed past and told her to arrange to transfer the patient in trauma one to surgery and to tell the patient she'd be there in a moment to explain his condition to him. Elizabeth thanked the other woman then led Mark to the lounge. "What is it, Mark?"

"Let's sit down," he suggested.

"Just get on with it," Elizabeth snarled. "I have a patient waiting."

Mark took a deep breath as he organized his thoughts. "The cancer's back, Elizabeth," he told her.

"What?" she whispered sinking onto the battered couch. "But..."

"I haven't said anything before now because you've had so much to deal with," he told her. "I tried to tell you the night Ella was brought in."

"So why are you telling me now?" she demanded angrily. "After hiding it this long why now?"

"I've been offered an experimental treatment," Mark explained. "It's a military project. It's...a limited time offer. I need to leave tonight for the facility."

"Tonight," Corday whispered. "What about Ella? What about Rachel?"

"I'll see if Susan can take her for the night until Jen can come get her," Mark told her.

"That's not necessary," Elizabeth denied quietly. "I'll come back to the house."

"Elizabeth," Mark said gently. "I can't ask that of you."

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"I have to go through a final selection process when I get there," Mark told her making up the lie on the spot. "If I'm selected it could be months, and I won't be able to have any outside contact while it's going on."

"What? Why?" she asked.

"It's a military project," Mark said. "Something about security, I guess." She didn't say anything. Finally, he said, "I've gotta talk to Ramano. You're sure about Rachel?"

She nodded obviously not trusting herself to speak. 

"I love you, Elizabeth," he whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

When he returned to the chief of staff's office he found Rocket and the two military officers staring daggers at one another. "Finally!" Rocket grumbled. "Now am I going to find out what the Hell is going on in my hospital?"

"I need some time off," Mark said. "These gentlemen have an experimental cancer treatment."

Ramano pursed his lips. He knew very well that Greene's cancer had returned, and while patient records were supposed to be confidential he'd looked into just how serious his condition was. "How long?" he still demanded.

"Indefinite," Mark answered. "Starting immediately. I'll be leaving tonight."

Ramano nodded. "Good luck, Greene" he told the other man then stormed out of the office.

"I need to stop by my house," Mark said turning to the two generals. "To get a few things and explain to my daughter."

"We've got a car waiting," Jack told him.

Mark nodded as he lead the way out. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the Greene house, and Mark left the generals and the driver waiting in the car while he went inside. "Rachel?" he yelled as he took the stairs to his bedroom. "Rachel, I need to talk to you."

"What, Dad?" the teenager asked as she came out of her room and followed his father down the hall.

"Sit down," Mark commanded gesturing towards the bed. He waited until Rachel was seated next to him then took her hand. "Rach, you know I've been sick a lot lately."

"Is it...is the cancer back?" the teenager asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Mark admitted. "I need to go away for a while, Rach. I've been offered some experimental treatment, but I have to leave now to get it. Elizabeth's moving back in. She'll take care of you while I'm gone, or you can call your mother to come get you."

"You're...you're leaving? Just like that?" Rachel screamed at her father.

"No...not just like that," Mark argued. "Rachel, I have to do this. If I want to see you and Ella grow up, it's the only chance I've got," he admitted to his daughter. "I've got to call your mom and let her know what's going on. What do you want me to tell her? You want to stay here with Elizabeth or go to Milwaukee?"

Rachel stared hard at her father for several seconds contemplating her options before she said, "I'll stay here."

Mark nodded. "Okay," he said. "Let me finish packing, and then we'll call your mother." The conversation wasn't an easy one, but in the end his ex-wife agreed to let Rachel finish the school year in Chicago then return to Milwaukee for the summer. They would decide where she'd attend school in the fall once they knew more about Mark's condition. He agreed even though he knew he would not be returning to Chicago even if the 'treatment' were successful. He picked up his bags and jogged out to the waiting car after kissing Rachel good bye. "Let's get out of here," he said as he threw his bags into the back of the SUV and climbed into the back seat.

The flight to Colorado passed uneventfully as Greene dozed in his seat while Carter and Crichton chatted quietly together. When they arrived at the SGC, there was a small group waiting for them. "Dr. Greene," Crichton said. "I'd like you to meet General George Hammond, who commands the SGC. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, his 2IC and leader of SG-1. Major Sam Carter, Jacob's daughter and and 2IC of SG-1. Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c, the other two members of SG-1. Commander Tannen who will be my second when we deploy, and last but certainly not least, Dr. Janet Frasier."

"Do you have your records with you, doctor?" the petite redhead asked. Mark nodded handing the thick folder over to her. "Good," she said. "We're going to run some tests, and then I want to sit down and talk to you about what you've agreed to." 

Six hours later after countless tests and a very long counseling session from Doctors McKenzie and Frasier, Mark found himself lying on his side in the infirmary. Dr. Frasier held his hand as she instructed, "Close your eyes, open your mouth, and whatever you do, don't bite down." A moment later he heard footsteps approach the bed as Jacob Carter carried the symbiote Lantesh to him. He didn't have time to panic as he felt something slide into his mouth. He felt a stab of pain at the back of his throat, but remembered not to bite.

_'Hello, Mark'_ a voice he didn't recognize said. _'I am Lantesh. I think we should get to know each other, don't you?'_


	5. Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Off to

"Everything check out, Commander?" O'Neill asked. Two months had gone by since the initial test of the secondary power source. Happy had been surveyed five weeks ago when the second of the two auxiliary power units had been tested. That survey had revealed that the Stargate on Happy lay a few miles outside a bustling town. The UAV had shown a variety of aliens in the town including the human-looking Sebaceans Thor had described. General Crichton and his people had been of two minds about the discovery. On the one hand, they now had hope for a place to trade. With so many species in one place, it was a fair bet the town supported a space-faring civilization which meant the possibility of acquiring a ship to allow further exploration if they couldn't find more addresses to the Stargate. The wide variety of aliens present on Happy also boded well for the exchange of technology. On the other hand, there was no predicting what could happen when they first ventured to the world. They had decided against sending a MALP through in the interests of secrecy. They'd sent the UAV well away from the Stargate before it closed. It was hoped that even if it were found, none of Happy's residents would realize the strange device smashed at the bottom of a ravine had anything to do with the ancient stone ring several miles away. The abbreviated survey and presence of the town had immediately put Happy out of the running for the location of the Mine leaving Sleepy to be the jumping off point for this mission.

"Yeah, we're good to go, sir" Tannen replied as she adjusted one last strap on the FRED unit that would carry their equipment and supplies through the event horizon to Sleepy in only a few minutes. As preparations were made for the exploration of "The Dwarves," Tannen had campaigned for her team to accompany SG-1 on their mission. After listening to her reasoning, O'Neill had agreed with her and given his endorsement of her plan to Generals Hammond and Crichton. The two teams would explore Sleepy together at the same time they set up a base camp. Then while one team was off-world exploring one of the other 'dwarves' the second team would stand guard at camp. When the first team returned from their exploration, they would switch. The first team taking over guard duty while the second explored the next planet. It would take two teams out of rotation at the SGC, and potentially put twice as many people in harms way. However, because the base camp would be guarded and with the second team acting as back-up it would greatly improve the security and odds of success.

One other person had been added to the initial exploration team, or rather two other people who shared one body. The addition of Dr. Mark Greene and his symbiote Lantesh had been made at the the insistence of the Tok'ra High Council. At first Generals Hammond and Crichton had objected not wanting to force their new recruit out of the nest quite so quickly. It was Mark Greene and Lantesh who had changed their mind. The newly joined Tok'ra had some lingering doubts about giving up his former life. Dr. Greene and Lantesh intended to use this month long mission to come to some decisions between them. If by the time they returned Mark Greene wasn't fully committed to life as a Tok'ra, a new host for Lantesh would have to be found, for the Tok'ra operative refused to stay in a host that was not totally committed to being one. To make their case for going stronger, Lantesh arranged for a set of the softball sized telecommunications devices to be brought to the SGC with the strict understanding that if one left Earth, Lantesh went with it. 

O'Neill nodded as he checked the straps on Tannen's pack then turned to let her return the favor. Around them five of the other seven travelers were performing the same task for each other. "Where's Daniel?" Jack demanded impatiently. 

"Here, Jack" the archaeologist called as he entered the Gate room through the heavy metal doors. He was attempting to adjust the straps on the large pack he wore strapped to his back.

"Turn," Keegan commanded as Jackson reached him. The captain made short work of securing Jackson's pack for the trip through the Gate.

"Carter?" Jack called up to the control room above their heads. 

They watched as she leaned down over the microphone and said, "Everything looks good here, sir." She gave Graham's shoulder a pat before turning to the stairs. A moment later, she joined the rest of the exploration team at the base of the ramp. O'Neill hefted her pack from the floor by his feet. Together he and Teal'c helped the major shoulder it comfortably onto her back. They finished the task just as the Stargate whooshed into life.

"Let's go, kids" O'Neill ordered as he followed the heavily laden FRED unit guided by Sergeant North up the ramp.

As soon as their feet touched solid ground on the other side of the wormhole, all nine travelers immediately got to work on their predefined tasks. Carter with the help of Sgt. North began the task of attaching the secondary power source, designated the SPS, to the Stargate while the other SGC personnel spread out in teams of two to reconnoiter the surrounding area. As soon as they had the SPS in position, North and Carter turned to help Dr. Greene in setting up camp. By the time the other six members of their little expedition returned, the tents were up, Sam was setting up the defensive perimeter, and North was taking care of their sanity needs. Dr. Greene had been given the task of breaking out MREs for the evening meal. This first night would be a cold camp because they wouldn't unpack the rest of the equipment strapped to the FRED until the surrounding area was more thoroughly explored. 

Over the next two days they worked together exploring Sleepy until both Commander Tannen and Colonel O'Neill were satisfied that their base camp was secure. During those two days, they also sent probes to the remaining five planets that hadn't been reconnoitered from Earth. Ruins on the jungle planet nicknamed Dopey had sparked some interest in Drs. Jackson and Prine when the UAV had overflown them. They had sparked groans from the rest of the explorers though as they immediately realized the ruins would be a high priority in their exploration of that planet. It also wasn't hard to realize that the hike to those ruins would be miserable. While Daniel and Lynn argued between them over which one of the two of them was the more qualified to examine the ruins, the rest of the two SG teams just prayed their teammate wouldn't win the argument. The UAV's hadn't faired well on the ice planets Grumpy and Sneezy. High winds on Grumpy had battered the UAV against an ice cliff only minutes after its launch. Rather than risk another, O'Neill and Tannen had agreed that Grumpy would be explored from the ground, first by one of the MALPs and then in person. It wasn't wind that had downed the UAV on Sneezy though. It was the extreme cold. By the time the UAV froze and crashed, it had already completed a fairly extensive aerial survey that had revealed exactly nothing of interest on the planet. By common consent, Sneezy's ground exploration would consist of a mere hour's worth of sample collection. 

Over the evening meal the two teams argued good-naturedly about which team would step through the Stargate in the morning and which planet they would investigate first. 

"We'll cede Doc's exploration to you, Colonel," Tannen said with a grin. "You and Dr. Jackson are the experts on desert worlds after all. My team will take Happy."

"Nice try, Commander" Jack responded. "You'll take Grumpy. If my team is going to bake in the sun for hours on end, your team can freeze in the wind."

"I'd rather not," North joked good-naturedly knowing it was a fair decision. 

"But you will," Captain Keegan ordered his teammate. Really neither team would be disappointed about which planets they explored with the one exception of the planet codenamed Happy. Keegan was willing to freeze for a few hours if it helped them convince O'Neill to let SG-14 explore Happy. 

"Deal," Tannen agreed as well. "I'll take Bashful, too, as long as you give us Happy." No one liked working in the space suits.

"My team has more experience with first contact," Jack pointed out.

"And my team will be staying in this part of the galaxy," Sara rejoined. "We should be the ones making contact with the locals."

"She's right, Jack" Daniel agreed causing Jack to grimace slightly.

Teal'c raised a knowing eyebrow at O'Neill. When he looked her way to get her opinion, Jack saw that Sam's mouth was twisted slightly in her attempt to keep the smile off her face. "Carter?" he asked wanting to hear her opinion anyway.

"Daniel will enjoy exploring those ruins on Dopey," Sam commented sidestepping his question and answering it at the same time.

Jack sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "We'll take Doc, Dopey, and Sneezy. Your team can take Grumpy, Happy, and Bashful."

"That just leaves you, Doc" Isaac told Dr. Greene. "You going to stay at base camp or go out."

"I think we'll pass on Bashful," Marc said with a wry grin causing the others to chuckle. "Lantesh thinks we should go with SG-1 to explore Dopey, and your team to explore Happy."

"I suggest we get Sneezy out of the way tomorrow," Dr. Prine said. 

"In other words, SG-1 goes first?" Daniel interpreted.

"Age before beauty," Lynn teased.

"I think she means you, Jack" Daniel said.

"Actually, I had Teal'c in mind, but whatever" she clarified.

"You're not getting any younger yourself, Daniel," Sam joked then her expression turned serious as she turned to their newest recruit. "We've been out here two days now, Marc" she said. "How are you feeling about it?"

"About being on another planet or about being a Tok'ra?" Marc asked though he had a fairly good idea she really wanted the answer to her second question.

"Both," Sam answered confirming his guess.

"I'm starting to get used to it," Marc replied.

"But?" Jack asked hearing the hesitation in his voice.

"But I'm not sure I can just abandon my family" he answered. "My daughters need me."

"As my son needs me," Teal'c said. "Yet, I choose to serve the Tau'ri. Even now that my wife is dead, I continue this fight against the goa'uld while others care for Ry'ac. I do this because I wish my son to be free. I desire this not only for my son, but for all jaffa sons and daughters."

"In other words, Doc, the greater good," Jack translated. "Your kids are safe and well cared for aren't they?"

"Yeah," Marc answered though the expression on his face was a bit distracted as he listened to the voice inside his head that only he could hear. 

_"Your daughters will remain safe only so long as your world remains free of the System Lords,"_ Lantesh told his host. _ **"**As a Tok'ra you fight for your daughters in the same way Teal'c fights for his son. Just as your father served to keep you safe."_

_'And I hated him for years because of it,'_ Marc reminded his symbiote.

_"In the end you forgave him,"_ Lantesh argued. _"You will have a long time for your daughters to forgive you as a Tok'ra."_

The thought wasn't much comfort to Marc, but in that moment he understood his father perhaps even better now than those last few months of David's life. He finally understood that while his father was glad for their reconciliation, even if it had never happened his father still would have had no regrets about his years of service to the Navy. Marc's decision was made. He felt Lantesh's pleasure and approval through their bond. Along with those emotions, Lantesh expressed the beginnings of a plan to make their joining easier on Marc. Marc nodded to himself and his symbiote. "Lantesh and I are going to stick it out," Marc announced, "but he's got some ideas that are not going to make the other Tok'ra happy."

"Oh?" O'Neill asked, his curiosity obviously peaked. "Do tell," he suggested.

**"Jacob serves as the Tau'ri liaison to the Tok'ra,"** Lantesh said aloud as he took command. **"I am going to ask the Council to allow me a similar position among the Tau'ri after our assignment with General Crichton's project ends." **Greene's head dropped for a moment as Lantesh returned control of their body to his host. "And with that, I think I'll turn in," Mark announced rising from folding camp chair on which he sat. He nodded to the others as he picked up the chair and headed towards the two man tent he would share with their medical supplies and the borrowed Tok'ra communications device.

The next morning as Greene exited the tent he found Colonel O'Neill tending a small propane stove as Teal'c and Sgt. North unpacked and assembled one of their UAV's. "Morning, Doc" O'Neill greeted him. The colonel grabbed a cup waiting beside the stove then poured steaming black ambrosia from the small coffee pot on the burner. This cup he handed to Mark then picked up an already filled one to take a sip. "Daniel without coffee is scary," he explained with a smile. The caffeine addict in question stumbled out of his own tent and towards them a moment later. "Morning, Space Money!" O'Neill greeted the half-asleep archaeologist.

"Coffee, Jack" Daniel demanded blinking at his friend through half-opened eyes.

"Here, ya go" the colonel said placing a steaming cup in the younger man's hand. "Carter's breaking out the parkas. I want to head out to our winter wonderland in an hour, Daniel."

Jackson nodded his understanding as he sipped from the steaming cup in his hand. He lifted a hand to wave as he saw the other two members of SG-1 walking towards the campfire each carrying a mountain of cold weather gear in their arms. Carter handed Daniel a parka and a pair of insulated pants while Teal'c handed a matching set to O'Neill. From the two still occupied tents, they heard the sounds of the other team stirring. 

"Get your team up, Sara!" Carter called to the other woman as she dumped her own set of arctic wear on the ground beside an empty camp chair. "It's your turn to cook breakfast." Sitting down in the chair, Sam untied her boots.

"Sam?" Daniel asked. "What are you doing?"

"I'm putting on a second pair of socks," she informed him. "I hate it when my feet get cold."

"Would you have preferred the space suits?" Greene asked jokingly.

"Yes," O'Neill and Carter replied in tandem. "And you'd say the same if you'd ever gotten trapped in an ice cave in Antarctica," O'Neill continued after trading a wry look with his 2IC.

The nine explorers shared a light breakfast before SG-1 finished preparing for their first jaunt through the Stargate.

"Daniel, dial 'er up!" O'Neill ordered as he finished zipping up the front closure on his parka. He slipped on the face mask, and cinched his hood closed as the first of the Chevrons locked into position. "Keep the fire burning, Tannen!" he ordered when the final Chevron had locked and the Stargate burst into activity.

"Yes, sir" Sara confirmed. "And we'll have some hot cocoa waiting for you when you get back."

"I'd prefer a hot tub, but that'll do!" Jack quipped just before he stepped through the event horizon. The 'Gate shut down moments later, leaving Tannen's SG-14 to wait and worry.

It hadn't been quite an hour when the inner ring of the Stargate began to spin announcing the imminent return of SG-1 to base camp. Hence, the cocoa wasn't quite done when they stepped through bringing some of the snow and cold with them. "We went. We collected. We froze our asses off! We left," O'Neill announced as he walked down the stone ramp that lead from the platform on which the Stargate stood. "Now where's my cocoa?" he asked.

"Coming right up, sir!" Isaac North told him as he poured boiling water from the pot hung on a tripod over the fire into four mugs. As soon as he'd filled the mug, the civilian member of SG-14, Dr. Lynn Prine emptied a package of cocoa mix into each and quickly stirred it with a spoon. The mugs were then handed one by one to the four members of SG-1 who gladly sipped the restorative drink while they let SG-14 help them remove their arctic wear.

"We found nothing of interest there," Dr. Daniel Jackson informed them through chattering teeth. 

"Couldn't even collect soil samples," Carter added.

"That's because we were on a freakin' ice plateau!" O'Neill complained as he warmed his hands with the heat from the mug.

"Yes, sir" Carter agreed with a smirk as she allowed Dr. Greene to check her hands and feet for signs frostbite.

Tannen chuckled as O'Neill grudgingly allowed Greene to check his hands and feet. "Two down. Five to go," she commented watching Greene struggle with the most recalcitrant member of SG-1. 


End file.
